CHARLOTTE Manning gave Jersey’s Commonwealth Youth Games squad a boost on the team’s final day of events with an impressive PB-swim in the 200m breaststroke final.

Manning swam around a second quicker than she did in her heat to record a new best time of 2.49.68. Having qualified in eighth place for the final, nearly two seconds behind her closest competitor and eight seconds behind the top three seeds, Manning was unsurprised to finish eighth overall.

However, she was extremely pleased with the performance, said general team manager Paul Huddlestone, particularly as the 14-year-old was racing in an under 19 competition. He said: ‘The race pretty much went to form, with most of the competitors finishing where they were seeded. She’s got a PB, so she’ll be very satisfied with that.’

The Games is now over for the 12-strong team of athletes, who are now looking forward to tomorrow’s closing ceremony before they make the long journey home. Huddlestone said that despite hiccups in the organisation of the Games, and problems in getting the accommodation and other facilities completed, the experience for the Jersey team had been a wholly positive one.